Can-testing machine.



No. 778,622. PATENTED DEG. 27, 1904. U. H. AYARS.

CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1903.

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No. 778,622. PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904. G. H. AYARS.

CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1O 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 No. 778,622. PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904. c. H. AYARS.

CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1Q, 1903.

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.UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT Orrica.

CHARLES H. AYARS, OF SALEM, NE'W JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AYARS MACHINE COMPANY, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

CAN-TESTlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,622, dated December 27, 1904.

Appli ation 519d August 10, 1903. Serial No. 168,971.

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. AYARs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Salem and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Can-Testing Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for testing sheet-metal cans, and is particularly an improvement on that class of testing-machines in which the cans are first filled with compressed air and while so filled submerged in a liquid and the leaks in the can detected by bubbles caused by the escaping air through the defective portion of the seam or joint and rising in the liquid.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangement of devices hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a central vertical sectional view of a machine embodying my invention. Fi 2 is a side elevation of same with the tank illustrated in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the clamping-head and adjoining mechanism; Fig. 4, an enlarged detail of the plringer-operating mechanism, and Fig. 5 a detail perspective view of the tongue for feeding the can-bodies to be tested.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A designates a tank or receptacle of any suitable construction to contain liquid, such as water. A rectangular frame B is supported horizontally above the tank by means of suitable legs 7), which rest on the bottom of said tank. At opposite sides this frame is provided with bearings C, which support a hollow shaft C, on one end of which latter is a bevel-gear C which meshes with and is driven by a pinion C The shaft C is also provided with a distributing-chamber 0, from which a plurality of pipes or tubes 0 project and extend in the present instance in a direction parallel with the said shaft C, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, and for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Acircular plate or table Dis mounted on said shaft C and is adapted to be revolved in a vertical plane, so that the circumference of said plate or table will travel through the tank or receptacle.

A plurality of brackets E are secured to what I term the front side of the plate or table D, preferably near the rim edge or circumference thereof, and these brackets are each substantially U-shaped in side elevation and are each provided near their point of connection with the table with horizontally-extending bearings a, through each of which extends a plunger or stem 0. These plungers e are each provided on one end with a disk or head 0 which latter move with the plungers in a horizontal direction, but are secured against lateral or circular movement by means of two lugs 6 which take on opposite sides of a web 0* on the brackets. Each of these disks or heads 0 is also provided with a port 6 which extends from their outer circumferential edges to the center, as clearly seen in Fig. 3. A pipe f is tapped into the circumferential edge of each of these heads and is in communication with the passage or port J, and each of said pipes is provided with a valve f, having an operating-blade A flexible tube f connects each of said pipesf' with one of the tubes 0 projecting from the distributing-chamber 0. It Will thus be seen that communication is established between the air-distributing chamber 0 and each of the disks or heads 0 by means of the ports 0 pipes f, fiexibletubes fland tubes or pipes a.

Secured to the frame B and projecting inwardly toward the plate D are two arms 0 and 0 which latter have a position in the circular travel or path of the valve-blades f and are designed to shift or turn said blades, so as to first open and then close the valves f. This operation takes place after the can-bodies have been clamped in position for testing.

The disks or heads, as has been heretofore stated, have a horizontal movement With the plungers or stems 0. This movement is provided for the reason that the said heads are to serve as a clamping-head to hold a sheetmetal body during the testing operation. The

mechanism for accomplishing this horizontal movement will, therefore, now be described Secured to the rear surface of the table or plate D and directly opposite each of the brackets E is a housing or box g, which is provided with parallel side walls g, having longitudinal slots A shaft g extends crosswise of said housing and at right angles to said side walls 1 and at each end is provided with a roller which fits into said slots and are adapted to roll therein, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A bell-crank shaped lever h is mounted on the shaft between said walls 6 and said lever is provided with arms It and h the former projecting outwardly from said housing and carrying a roller If on its outer end and the other arm, 7L2, projecting downwardly in an inclined direction and at its lower end being pivotally connected to the end of the stem or plunger 0. A lug h also provided on the side of the 'lever It, serves as a convenient device by which to secure one end of a spiral spring The other end of said spiral spring is attached to an arm 2", carried on the table or plate D. This spring serves to keep the bell-crank lever h in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and thus keep the plunger 0 and head 6 normally pulled outwardly toward the plate or table D and in the position ready to receive a can-body.

Suitably supported within the tank or receptacle A and at the rear of the table D is a segment-trackway j, which latter has position in a vertical plane and partly surrounds the shaft C. The position of this trackway with respect to the housings g is such that the roller it on the arm it will contact with the said. trackway and drag or trail behind the housing g as the latter is moved in a circular path withthe said table D. This trailing position of the arm it is clearly illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2- andby broken lines in Fig. 4:. As the arm 72/ is thus shifted from a position at right angles to the table to an inclined position with respect to said table the integral arm 7L2 will move toward the table and assume an almost vertical position. This movement of said arm [b2 will push the plunger 0 and head attached thereto outwardly, as shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2. As the table continues to revolve the rollers I703 will be freed from contact with the segment-trackway 7', and the arms 71/ and 717 will be drawn by the spring Z to their normal or .released position. The brackets E have been described as being substantially U-shaped in side elevation, and up to the present time only one end of these brackets has been described. The outer ends will therefore now be described, reference being had to Figs. 1 and 2. The extreme outer end of each of these brackets is provided w1th a clrcular head 7;, through which a threaded bolt Z1 passes, and on each side of said head these bolts are provided with a lock-nut Z bolts may be adjustby means of which the ably secured. bolts carry a plate 711 which has position in a vertical plane and The inner ends of each of these may be adjusted or moved in a direction lengthwise of the bracket E by simply adjusting the bolt 76. This adjustment is provided in order that the distance between the said plate and the head 6 may be varied according to the length of the can to be tested. These plates 70 have position directly in front of the heads 0 and the bodies to be tested are to be clamped between said heads and plates with the bottom of the can Z seated against the plate. At the head or disk end of the bracket is secured another plate Z, which is formed so as to partly surround the said head, and this plate Z, together with the plate Z5, form guides between which the can-body Z passes to getinto its correct clamping position in front of the head 0 The brackets are also provided with can-supporting track-rails, one end Z of which is secured to one bracket and extends in a tangential direction, asat Z, with respect to the circumferential edge of the table and then turns and extends in a direction at right angles, as at Z, and passes down between the guide-plates Z0 and Z of the next preceding bracket and forms a can-body loop or pocket m between said plates and in front of the head 6 These track-rails serve two purposes-first, to receive and hold the canbody in the loop m previous to its being clamped, and, second, to serve as rails for the can-bodies to roll over to be discharged onto a chute m, as will presently be more fully described.

At one side of the tank and secured to the frame B is a vertical support a, which pivotally carries a tongue n and also serves to support the lower end of a can-chute 0. This tongue at one end is provided with a curved seat 027, which adjoins the lower end of the chute and is adapted to receive one can at a time, and. the opposite end a" of said tongue projects over the tank and has position in the path of travel of the several brackets E. The seat end a of the tongue is heavier than the end 02 in order that said latter end will be raised, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, when not in contact with either of the brackets.

As the plate or table D is revolved the brackets E will successively contact with the end a of the pivoted tongue a and press said end downwardly and raise the opposite end 01 This operation raises the can-body, and as the bracket E reaches or registers with the end of the chute 0 the can-body will roll off the curved seat 12., because of the inclination of same, and fall between the guideplates 7: and Z and drop into the pocket on, formed by the rails. The table and brackets continue to revolve until the tongue is freed, whereupon the same will automatically return to the normal position by reason of the fact that the end a is heavier than the end a, and another can-body will be seated in the curvec seat n. As the table or plate and the brackets continue to revolve or move in their circular path the bodies are clamped, the valves operatcd to turn on the air, and the can-body submerged and tested, as will be readily understood. After the cans have been moved through the liquid and tested they are elevated until the bell-crank lever 7b is released by reason of the roller If disengaging the segmenttraekwayj, whereupon the plunger 6' and head a will be drawn away from the can-body Z, and the latter will then roll down the tangential portion Z of the track-rails and onto a chute m. If the can-body has been found to leak, as would be noted by the escape of bubbles when submerged, the body is removed from the chute m and properlysoldered, while the perfect bodies are permitted to roll down said chute to any desirable point.

Air may be supplied to the chamber through the hollow shaft C from any suitable source of supply.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a can-testing machine the combination with a liquid-tank, of a rotary carrier; a plurality of brackets on said carrier; can-body clamps sustained by each bracket; track-rails having their opposite ends secured to adjacent brackets and between their secured ends having a pocket; means for depositing cans to be tested in said track-rail pockets; means for operating the clamps; a stationary can-receiving chute with which the track-rails register as they move with the brackets, and means for successively releasing the clamps to discharge the tested cans while the trackrails and stationary chute are in register.

2. In acan-testing machine the combination with a liquid-tank, of a rotary carrier; brackets on said carrier; can-body clamps for each bracket; track-rails secured stationarily to each bracket and having a loop forming a pocket between a pair of clamps, said rails extending laterally from said pockets; means for operating the clamps; a stationary chute with which the laterally-extending portions of the rails register while in an inclined position and means for releasing the cans to permit them to roll down the inclined rails into the stationary chute.

3. Ina can-testing machine, the combination with a tank to contain liquid; a rotary carrier; a plurality of brackets mounted on said carrier and adapted to be passed through said tank; a housing also mounted on said carrier near each of said brackets and each housing having a slot in its side walls; a shaft extending through said housing and supported in said slots; a lever mounted on said shaft and provided with a projecting operating-arm; a trackway with which said arm engages, and a plunger movable through each of said brackets and carrying a clamping-head on one end and the other end of said plunger being connected with said lever.

4.. In acan-testing machine the combination with a liquid-tank, of a rotary carrier; a bracket secured to the carrier and projecting at one side thereof; a housing also secured to said carrier and projecting at the opposite side from the bracket; a plunger extending through said bracket and carrying a clamping head at one end and having its other end terminating in the housing; a bell crank lever mounted in said housing and having one end connected to said plunger end and its other end projecting laterally from the housing; a stationary device for rocking the bell-crank lever and holding it in its rocked position While the housing is passing through the liquid, and means for supplying air to the cans while the bell-crank lever is held in its rocked position.

5. In a can-testing machine the combination with a tank; a rotary carrier; a plurality of brackets mounted on said carrier; a can-bodyclamp device carried by each of said brackets; a trackway supported between each two adjoining brackets and movable with said carrier and along which the can-bodies roll after being released by the clamp device, and means whereby air may be supplied to the interior of the bodies while held by said clamping devices.

6. In a can-testing machine the combination with a tank; a shaft; an air-distributing chamber revoluble with said shaft; a carrier; a plurality of brackets mounted on said carrier; a plunger movable through each of said brackets and carrying a clamp-head which latter are each provided with an air-passage; a pipe connecting each clamp-head with the revoluble air-chamber and at all times in communication with the latter and each of said pipes having a valve; means for successively opening the valves and permitting air to pass to each head as the latter enters the tank, and means for successively closing each valve as the heads pass out of the tank.

7. In a can-testing machine,the combination with a tank; a rotary carrier; a plurality of brackets mounted on and moving with said carrier; can-body-clamping devices carried by said brackets; a can-body support for each of said brackets; a chute; a tongue pivoted near the end of said chute and having a seat for a can, and projecting over said tank and in the path of said brackets whereby each bracket will operate said tongue to successively feed a can.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. AYARS.

WVitnesses:

J. G. RICHMOND, IV. P. BALLINGER. 

